orange dream pudding pops

When 3 pounds of oranges arrived in my CSA box this week I knew I would have to motivate myself with 2012 blog goal #3 (use CSA box ingredients more creatively).  I am the only person in this house that eats oranges and while I really do like them 3 pounds is a lot for even this girl.  The crazy warm winter days that we have been enjoying has been prompting Carter to constantly request popsicles.  I started googling orange sherbet but, then I had an 80s flashback of pudding pops.  I loved pudding pops and can vividly remember that thin layer of ice that encased the pop.  Once you cracked the ice layer the most creamy center was right beneath.  They were delicious.  I had all of the ingredients to whip together orange dream pudding pops.  Carter and I squeezed the oranges and got mixing.  The results were fantastic.  There is no thin icy layer but, the pop is just as creamy as I remember.  These pops must really evoke dreams because Carter woke up the next day and said "mommy I had a dream last night that you let me eat two pudding pops".  True sweet dreams.

orange dream pudding pops
adapted: glutenfreefive

1 large box instant vanilla pudding
8 ounces vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
8 ounces cool whip, thawed

In a blender combine pudding, yogurt, juice and milk and blend until combined. Fold in cool whip and pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 5 hours or until firm.

lemon cheesecake cheese ball

I came across this article on NPR when I was looking for recipes using fava beans.  I was really intrigued by the cheese ball concept.   Growing up cheese and crackers were big in our house.  Typically we had cheese I liked but, every once in awhile that really weird pinky orange very smelly cheese ball covered in nuts would come out.  The smell alone would have me running from the room.  That was my only experience with a cheese ball so, the idea of a sweet cheese ball with a cream cheese base seemed like the perfect combo to get me over my fear.  I have had this book marked for quite some time and never had an occasion to make it.  I was asked to bring fruit to out Mother's Day brunch and I realized the occasion had finally arrived.  I really thought the kids would look at it as a frosting dip and eat up fruit but, they would not even try it.  All the adults seemed to enjoy it.  It is sweet and creamy yet, tart and is perfect on both fruit and graham crackers.

lemon cheesecake cheese ball

adapted: npr

10 ounces reduced fat cream cheese; room temperature

zest of 1 large lemon

juice of large lemon (~2 tablespoons)

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

5 graham crackers; finely crushed

Mix cream cheese and sugar together in a medium sized bowl until there are few lumps. Add lemon zest and juice, and combine until smooth.

Form the lemon and cheese mixture into a round ball and wrap in wax-coated parchment paper. This cheese mixture is especially soft, so making a perfect ball shape may not be possible until the mixture is chilled completely. Refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.

Reform cheese mixture into a ball.  Roll cheese ball in the graham cracker crumbs until the ball is well-coated with crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.  Serve with fresh fruit and graham crackers.

grapefruit buttermilk sherbet

My in-laws have a home in palm dessert.  We are super lucky and get to go out and enjoy the sun and pool often.  This time of year the citrus trees in their community are bulging with fruit.  I asked my mother in law if it was ok to pick some fruit.  She said yes, they actually encourage people to pick the food for the local food bank.  That is awesome I said.  I wrangled up the kids, got bags and we took off in the golf cart.  We stopped at the first tangerine tree and started to load up bags.  At the same time a man in a red security golf cart approached and told us it was prohibited to pick the fruit.  What?!?  My four year old Carter thought this security guard was the police and got scared he was going to take me away.  Ever since this day Carter continually asks me if the man in the red cart is going to tell me I am naughty.  LOL.  I could not believe we did not get to the grapefruit trees.  I ate my weight in grapefruits when pregnant with Campbell so, I have not had many in the past 18 months.  I did not want the kids to see me a s a rule breaker but, as soon as dusk hit I sent Brad out to get me some grapefruits.  I think he flashed back to how many I ate while I was pregnant and came back with two enormous bags of red grapefruits.  Wow!  I immediately began to juice and made two pitchers of greyhounds for cocktail hour.  They were divine.  The remainder of the hot grapefruits came home with us.  I have to have dessert every night but, I am trying to have some lighter desserts peppered in to offset things like snickerdoodle cupcakes.  This sherbet is light, tangy and tart.  If you like tart frozen yogurt this would be up your alley.  If you are not a fan of tart pass.  This has less then 150 calories a serving and a small scoop does satisfy.  After I had this churning I got curious what the difference between sherbet and sorbet was.  I would have classified this as a sorbet but, I discovered with a quick google that sherbet has dairy whereas sorbet does not.  The vodak helps to not allow the sherbet to freeze solid.  It does not add taste but, provides a creamy scoopable texture.

grapefruit buttermilk sherbet

source: cooking light

• 1  cup  water
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped red grapefruit rind
• 1  cup  sugar
• 1  cup  fresh red grapefruit juice
• 2  cups  whole buttermilk
• 2  tablespoons  vodka

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rind to pan; reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving rind. Combine rind, sugar, and juice in pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat; pour into a bowl. Chill for 1 hour. Strain juice mixture, and discard solids. Combine the juice mixture, buttermilk, and vodka in the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

lime glazed coconut snowballs

I try one new Christmas cookie each year to supplement the holiday standards.  All of my holiday standards are quick Christmas candy and not cookies.  Does that tell you anything?  I am not having much luck finding a Christmas cookie that I would want to repeat each year.  The past years I have tried several with  a chocolate base so, this year I decided to mix it up and incorporate a few favorites of mine; butter, citrus and coconut.  I knew the others in my house would not touch these but, seriously does everything need to be about them?  Mama needs a cookie too.  I rarely see a negative comment about cooks illustrated recipes so, I decided to go that route and sure enough they were great.  Great for those citrus butter loving girls at my cookie exchange.  The soft butter cookie ball has just a hint of lime.  The lime glaze is sweet and tart and the tiny flakes of coconut add them perfect touch in both taste and appearance.  These are dainty cookies that look beautiful on the platter next to the Christmas classics.

Lime-Glazed Coconut Snowballs
source: Cook's Illustrated

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
zest of 1 lime (~1-2 teaspoons)
3/4 cup superfine sugar (5 1/2 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into sixteen 1/2-inch pieces, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese , room temperature
Glaze
1 tablespoon cream cheese ,room temperature
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (6 ounces)
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut , pulsed in food processor until finely chopped, about fifteen 1-second pulses


In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, lime zest, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.

Use hands to roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake one batch at a time in 375-degree oven until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Glaze:
Whisk cream cheese and 2 tablespoons lime juice in medium bowl until combined and no lumps remain. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding remaining lime juice as needed until glaze is thin enough to spread easily.


Dip tops of cookies into glaze and scrape away excess, then dip into coconut. Set cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet; let stand until glaze dries and sets, about 20 minutes